ZANIS reports
that this is after the matter was committed for trial by the Subordinate court
of the second class in Mansa district to the high Court.

During trial,
the Prosecution called a 17- year-old-boy of Musumali Village
in Mansa to testify in the murder of his uncle, Chishimba who was killed in the
riots.

Augustine
Muneka is now crippled after allegedly being beaten by the same mob that killed
his uncle.

On that fateful
day, the witness told the Court that a mob of people led by Paul Musamba, one
of the accused, went to his uncle Wilbroad Chishimba’s house shouting on top of
their voices saying, “Today he is also going to die.”

The witness who
said he was only able to identify three people told the court that his uncle
was dragged from his house to a place where petrol was poured on him causing
him to be burnt.

He also told
Judge Katanekwa that he lay unconsciously for a week bleeding from the nose and
mouth after being stoned at the back of his head by the accused persons.

He said those
who beat him up had mistaken him for Wilbroad Chishimba’s elder son Ranger
Chishimba.

When cross
examined by the Defence Lawyer, why his statements were conflicting with what
he had said earlier, the witness responded that there was no way he could tell
lies to the court after all that he went through during that period.

He added that
before the incident happened, he was physically able and was going to school
and walking on his own, but that he was unable to walk and go school any more,
a situation he said he could not tell lies about.

At this moment
the witness’s statement sent his relatives who were in court to tears.

Another
witness, John Muneka 38, the younger brother to the deceased, said even though
he was not there at the death of his elder brother and only saw him at the
mortuary he still remembered when his father told one of the accused Paul
Musamba that he was a bad person.

Mr Muneka told
the court that the family was going through a difficult time during that period
for no one could even greet them for fear of being victimised by the rioters.

The witness
said this, after he was asked by Defense Lawyers as to why only relatives of
the deceased were testifying in court.